Despite how it might've appeared based on three game postponements a week earlier, there was never really any question over whether Saints-Dolphins was going to go off as scheduled on Monday Night Football.
Despite more than 20 players and multiple assistant coaches testing positive and in going on the COVID list in the days leading up to the game, the NFL had made it clear early in the week there'd be no change to the schedule, Saints GM Mickey Loomis said this week on WWL Radio.
"I was told pretty early on that the game wasn’t going to be postponed and just had to deal with it. That was their solution: Play the game no matter what," Loomis said, speaking with Mike Hoss and Bobby Hebert.
"We don’t have to like it, but we have to live with it."
Listen to Loomis' full interview below. Can't see the player? Click here.
The Saints GM only had one comparison for the struggles the Saints faced in Week 16, likening it to the player strike and lockout in 1987 that left teams scrambling to field rosters of replacement players.
"It felt a little like that," he said.
With so many players unavailable, many of whom went on the list late in the week, the Saints were signing players up until the morning before the game. Multiple players were signed and fitted for equipment on the day of the game, and the results on the field were as expected and with rookie Ian Book making his NFL debut out of necessity. The Saints lost 20-3 in a game that never really felt even that close.
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The NFL has enacted several changes to its COVID policy in recent weeks, some geared toward helping asymptomatic players return to action more quickly. Despite those changes, none of the players or coaches who went on the list returned in time to play. The NFL has also updated its guidelines following the CDC's recommendation to shorten COVID quarantines to 5 days, which will likely help avoid a similar situation going forward.
“When you have 18 active players and four of your practice squad players test positive for COVID, it’s just too much to overcome, frankly," Loomis said. "It wasn’t fair to the players. It wasn’t fair to our coaching staff, and certainly not the fans. It was a tough week, but it’s behind us now.”
Despite the frustrating result, the Saints are still well in the hunt for a playoff berth, and could use as much help as they can get from players returning from the COVID list throughout the week ahead of a Week 17 matchup with the Panthers at the Caesars Superdome.
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